We review the managerial concepts of goals, objectives, and values, and their importance and function in fisheries management. Fishery management is a process aimed at accomplishing predetermined goals and objectives. Throughout the history of fisheries management, goals have been rarely stated explicitly or have been stated in generalized terms of "best" or "wise" use with no supporting objective statements. Goals are ideals, major accomplishments, ends, or states of affairs to be achieved. They direct a manager's planning, development of strategies, and direction of his or her organization's activities. Objectives operationally support goals and are measurable, verifiable statements of intermediate tasks that must be accomplished for goal attainment. Objectives help define goals, identify conflicting activities, guide elements of the decision-making process, and ensure accountability of personnel within an organization. Without clearly defined goals and supporting objectives, goal displacement often occurs. Goal-and objective-setting are influenced by values. Values are personal standards as to what is good or bad, fair or unfair, and hence influence our decisions. The more incongruent the participants' values are in an organization, the more difficult it is to determine and reach an organization's goals and objectives. Values influence the allocation process: How much is allocated? Who gets what? The fisheries management process suffers from the lack of recognizing the roles and dynamics of goals, objectives, and values in effective fisheries management. We conclude that not understanding these concepts and their interactions is a major factor in causing conflicts in the fisheries management process.
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